LeBron James and I are on the same page. When he was first drafted, I was not ready to say that the Cavaliers were on their way to an NBA title. All I really wanted was consistent improvement from year to year. Apparently, James has been saying the same thing.
The year before he was drafted, the Cavaliers were 17-65.
In 2003-04, the Cavs went 35-47, an 18-game improvement.
In 2004-05, the Cavs went 42-40, a 7-game improvement.
In 2005-06, the Cavs went 50-42, an 8-game improvement. They also made the playoffs, and advanced to the second round.
So when this year came about, I expected us to win at least 50 games and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. That would have continued the pattern. Winning the ECF was bonus, and it was even sweeter than we won it against the Pistons.
We have already accomplished the level of improvement that LeBron expects from the Cavaliers, but it is not enough. It is not enough for him and as a huge Cavs fan, it is not enough for me either. I want the championship.
LeBron James has already proven to the entire NBA that he is the superstar of this league. He led a horrible team to the Finals in only four years, something that even Michael Jordan did not do. They will talk about the way he has led this team for a long, long time.
But it is not enough. Not until we climb that last mountain.
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